Fair on the Square to feature blood drive

May 28—Summer marks a difficult season for the community blood supply, as focus turns to family vacations and time off from school.

However, the need for blood never takes a break. Carter BloodCare notes up to 800 patients — including those injured in accidents, older adults with health issues, people undergoing cancer treatments, and many others — need blood transfusions daily. Most require more than one unit of red blood cells or other components, such as plasma or platelets.

To support the community and avoid the summer slump in donations, Rusk Chamber of Commerce Fair on the Square is hosting a Carter BloodCare drive from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Saturday, May 28, at 184 S. Main St. in the parking lot on the Carter BloodCare bus.

Donors can secure a spot at this lifesaving blood drive with any of these three options: by calling 800-366-2834, visiting CarterBloodCare.org and clicking the Donate Now tab, or by calling Jennifer Pacheco at 903-245-9877.

As thanks for donating, each person who presents to give will receive the brand-new "Summer Donate — Give for Texans" T-shirt, available in sizes M — 3XL while supplies last.

About Carter BloodCare

Carter BloodCare is an independent, community blood center providing transfusion resources to more than 180 medical facilities in 50-plus counties of North, Central and East Texas. The nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization is one of the largest blood programs in Texas, delivering more than 450,000 blood products annually to meet hospitals' requirements for their patients. Services include collection, processing, specialized laboratory testing, storage and distribution of blood and blood products.